Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 September 1908 — A. J. LAW ELECTED SENATOR [ARTICLE]

A. J. LAW ELECTED SENATOR

Farmer Candidate Defeats Machine Nomi= nee Halleck By 55 Majority.

LAW CARRIES JASPER BY 58 And Halleck Gets But Two Townships Here. STIN6IN6 DEFEAT FOR THE MACHINE In District Normally 2,000 Republican—A Grand Victory for the People Is Seen In These Figures Indeed. * Law Hal’k * * JASPER COUNTY. . 66 * * NEWTON COUNTY. 162 * * STARKE COUNTY.. 7 * * WHITE COUNTY... 166 * * $ * Law’s Majority. . . 55 * **»*»*****••• iThe special election held in Newton,. Jasper, Starke and White counties Thursday to elect a State Senator for Gov. Hanly’s special session to succeed Senator McCain of Kentland who vacated the office when he became postmaster, was held Thursday, and resulted in a sweeping victory for the people in the election of A. J. Law of Newton county, the democratic candidate. We say sweeping victory because the district is normally almost 2,000 republican. The vote polled was light of course, there being a large stay-at-home vote in the country, but had these votes been gotten out an even more sweeping victory would have resulted, especially in Jasper county where the repubublican candidate was weakest. Marion township Is the banner republican township of Jasper county, yet so distasteful had republican machine politics become here that the township returned 34 majority for Farmer A. J. Law.

Carpenter township, the second banner republican township and also the second largest in voting strength, tied, 160 votes to each candidate. Practically' all the other townships fell in line and gave Law a majority, Halleck carrying but two townships—Keener and Hanging Grove—out of the thirteen in the county. This is a stinging defeat, as the republican candidate loses so heavily in his home county, where he has lived all his life and is best known,- a county always reliably republican by from 600 to 700. The result here is a popular rebuke to the candidate and the machine which he has so long controlled, and it was noticed when the good news begun to come in that many republicans were very jubilant that things were going as they were. Following is the official vote in Jasper county by precincts:

* Law Hal’k * * Barkley, East 45 40 * * Barkley, West 71 30 * * Carpenter, East. ... 71 57 * * Carpenter, South... 44 56 * * Carpenter, West. ... 45 47 * * Glllam 41 35 * * Hanging Grove 28 41 * =* Jordan 53 30 * * Kankakee 33 27 * * Keener 20 84 * * Marlon, No. 1...... 01 104 * * Marlon, No. 2 133 75 * * Marion, No. 3 54 67 * * Marion, No. 4 74 72 » * Milroy 19 14 * * Newton 57 54 * * Union, North 52 42 » * Union, South 60 57 * * Walker ........... 53 45 * * Wheatfleld 74 73 * * Totals 101,8 952 ♦ **•••• • • • • • •

The victory is a victory for the people and a rebuke to the republican candidate and his machine to which he owes his nomination, and not a democratic victory. It means that the yoke was thrown ofT the neck of Jasper county republicans for the nonce and the true sentiments of those voting was recorded. •

But this has to be done over again in November, and then the defeated candidate, will be on the regular ticket, and hopes to be carried through by the huge republican majority in the four counties. Don’t forget this, Mr. Voter, and be ready to act accordingly, remembering that “eternal vigilance Is the price of liberty.” The vote in Newton county must be extremely gratifying to Mr. Law, who was born and raised there, and to the democrats generally as show-

ing the popularity of their candidate where he is best known. Normally 600 to 700 republican It gave Mr. Law a majority of 162. Both White and Starke have been voting republican of late years also, the majorities In those counties being about 600 republican in the last previous election.

Quite a number of prominent republicans were talking seriously yesday of trying to have Mr. Halleck pull off the ticket, and putting someone else on whom they stood a better show of electing in November, and this may be done.

One of the greatest surprises in the six special elections held Thursday was that in Delaware county where Lewis Cowing, republican, was elected by the very slim majority of 237 In a county whose normal majority in state and national elections is 3,500. In that county everything was done that could be done to carry “county local option.” The preachers, Governor Hanly—and Thursday Attorney General Bingham—put in their best licks for this measure, and for their pains got ' the above result. In Laporte county John B. Faulkner, democrat, was elected; in Carroll and Clinton counties, L. D. Boyd, republican, had no one opposed to him; in Crawford, Perry and Dubois, Samuel Benz, democrat, was elected by 1,539; In Posey, Henry Demberger, democrat, was elected. By these elections the democrats will gain one in the senate, and do not lose any in the house.